Final answer:
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for both mitigating the aftermath of natural disasters and coordinating efforts to alleviate their impact, which includes FEMA's role in assisting state and local governments. Their scope includes broader homeland security measures and ensuring infrastructure resilience.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Department of Homeland Security plays a pivotal role in both mitigating the aftermath of natural disasters and coordinating efforts to alleviate the impact of such disasters. This department was established to centralize various programs and ensure effective communication and cooperation among agencies involved in homeland security and emergency responses. One of the agencies under its umbrella is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is specifically charged with assisting state and local governments during natural disasters, despite criticisms of its performance in the past such as during Hurricane Katrina.
The duties of the Department of Homeland Security extend beyond the scope of natural disaster response, including implementing civil defense and emergency preparedness measures, which encompass anti-terrorism legislation and ensuring the resilience of critical national infrastructure. Over the years, the scope of federal power has increased, and the Department of Homeland Security has played a central role in federalizing disaster response power and other aspects of homeland security.